X Marks the Spot - A Nintendo and Microsoft console timeline

[Nivek]

PS3 won't be using Cell ITTL. The lower sales of the PS2 and the higher success of the Nintendo X means that they can't afford splurge as much on Cell

I would argue the Cell was paid up with PS1 money and no cell means almost all the roadmap sony have done is completely butterfly away, no blu-ray in PS3 either, as it needed the CELL and Nvidia RSX to decode blu-ray in the first place, not only that, no Nvidia RSX either as that comes the need of a GPU off the shelf, plus without working on Xbox ITTL, Nvidia lack the knowledge to do console GPU too...meaning no chance for it, no RSK they never get favored access to sony own API, no Nvidia 3D card off the shelf either...Nvidia ITTL might be struggling massively. If anything, everything we know about GPU post-2006 has been butterfly away.. and we've no accounted for whatever Nintendo and apple do for their own tech(and Nintendo might be screwed too, no cell means no Xenon or equivalent for whatever they plan for tako/next, no only that, Intel was struggling with multicore CPUs at the time and AMD CPUs were too hot for a console) if anything everything tech-related since 2002 is a brand new virginal territory(and if apple was using the Waternoose/Xenon,. that might be butterfly away too, as IBM will lack the multicore tech they got thanks to Cell project too) in few words no cell...HD generation might be even butterflied away to begin with(ie we could see games like Xenoblade in HD resolution...but something like BOTW or X might be impossible them, Assassin creed 2 would be the peak of the possibility of those consoles too for third parties, i could argue all them would need a pro version or a full HD console far earlier too, like 2010)

No, but first-party support is gonna be ramped the fuck up for the PSP beyond Final Fantasy, Legacy of Kain, etc. Expect new IPs as well as more installments in already-successful Sony franchises.

Knowing how Sony snatched defeat from the jaws of success with psp and vita otl(and that regardless DS own success, a lot of people owned PSP and yet no one got vitas to begin with)....those are no encouragement words.

Nintendo and Sony have not shown it yet, but Apple's entry + large amounts of third-party support have been concerning them, and in response to that, Sony is gonna be playing it safer with the PlayStation 3's architecture, while Nintendo is making a big gambit with Dragon Quest VIII, and will be going all-in on it when it releases.

Hope it works, if not iwata position might no be secure ITTL as Takeda and Miyamoto might not be that friendly(plus without bandai purchase attempt the board might not be happy with iwata passivity)

 

[the_idiot]

I would argue the Cell was paid up with PS1 money and no cell means almost all the roadmap sony have done is completely butterfly away, no blu-ray in PS3 either, as it needed the CELL and Nvidia RSX to decode blu-ray in the first place, not only that, no Nvidia RSX either as that comes the need of a GPU off the shelf, plus without working on Xbox ITTL, Nvidia lack the knowledge to do console GPU too...meaning no chance for it, no RSK they never get favored access to sony own API, no Nvidia 3D card off the shelf either...Nvidia ITTL might be struggling massively. If anything, everything we know about GPU post-2006 have been butterfly away.. and we've no accounted for whatever Nintendo and apple do for their own tech(and Nintendo might be screwed too, no cell means no Xenon or equivalent for whatever they plan for tako/next, no only that, Intel was struggling with multicore cpu at the time) if anything everything tech-related since 2002 is a brand new virginal territory(and if apple was using the Waternoose/Xenon,. that might be butterfly away too, as IBM will lack the multicore tech they got thanks to Cell project too) in few words no cell...HD generation might be even butterfly away to begin with(ie we could see games like Xenoblade in HD...but something like BOTW or X might be impossible them)

Cell as we know it is being butterflied away. Sony is still working on their own solution, but they're gonna be playing it very safe and are making it much less complex to code for, which means it won't be as powerful as OTL's PS3 (which was the most powerful console of its time), though its still being done in tandem with Toshiba and IBM.

To put it in layman's terms, TTL's PS3 will have more in common with the Xbox 360, rather than OTL's PS3.

Knowing how Sony snatched defeat from the jaws of success with psp and vita otl(and that regardless DS own success, a lot of people owned PSP and yet no one got vitas to begin with)....those are no encouragement words.

Sony won't be as passive ITTL. The PS2 selling less than the PS1 in terms of lifetime sales has kept them on their feet so far.

Hope it works, if not iwata position might no be secure ITTL as Takeda and Miyamoto might not be that friendly(plus without bandai purchase attempt the board might not be happy with iwata passivity)

It all depends on how Star Fox Rogue and Startropics end up doing, as the money spent on Factor 5 and Avalanche ITTL is the money that Nintendo was originally planning to use for Bandai.

 

[Nivek]

Cell as we know it is being butterflied away. Sony is still working on their own solution, but they're gonna be playing it very safe and are making it much less complex to code for, which means it won't be as powerful as OTL's PS3 (which was the most powerful console of its time), though its still being done in tandem with Toshiba and IBM.

To put it in layman's terms, TTL's PS3 will have more in common with the Xbox 360, rather than OTL's PS3.

And Even the Xenon was one of a hell of a CPU, with some features being very unique(ie never need to cut down any corner for any port at all) still that changes a lot, depending on who gets the other CPU contracts too.

Sony won't be as passive ITTL. The PS2 selling less than the PS1 in terms of lifetime sales has kept them on their feet so far.

Sony was aggressive with PSP, they just didn't know what to do once DS got their own market and they just left the PSP on the side. ITTL a weaker PSP might get it worse, even the cartridge vs UMD doesn't work as we're on the limits of battery life, again is not the PSP I worried about, is whatever they do for a successor...if they do one at all(I'm not a Sony fan but what they did to vita was downright criminal, not even the Nintendo Nvidia Tegra system collapsing backstage was a lucky break able to salvage it, have that come rather the weaker 3DS...ouch)

Another team hope is that Retro Studios doesn't collapse as OTL, as Nintendo keeps rare and DK active on their own, post Metroid they could revive Raven/Rune Blade or do something more original. When Talent leaks are unavoidable , is a shame OTL seems whatever was they were doing got cancelled for Metroid prime 4(I blame Sakurai for suggesting Namco to give hand when that was truly out of their league)

 

[the_idiot]

(ie never need to cut down any corner for any port at all)

That flexibility would likely help the PS3 a lot in this timeline.

Sony was aggressive with PSP, they just didn't know what to do once DS got their own market and they just left the PSP on the side. ITTL a weaker PSP might get it worse, even the cartridge vs UMD doesn't work as we're on the limits of battery life, again is not the PSP I worried about, is whatever they do for a successor...if they do one at all(I'm not a Sony fan but what they did to vita was downright criminal, not even the Nintendo Nvidia Tegra system collapsing backstage was a lucky break able to salvage it, have that come rather the weaker 3DS...ouch)

Another team hope is that Retro Studios doesn't collapse as OTL, as Nintendo keeps rare and DK active on their own, post Metroid they could revive Raven/Rune Blade or do something more original. When Talent leaks are unavoidable , is a shame OTL seems whatever was they were doing got cancelled for Metroid prime 4(I blame Sakurai for suggesting Namco to give hand when that was truly out of their league)

In terms of a PSP successor, we're still years off from that happening, so we'll what happens in the meantime with the PSP.

And I'm not sure what Retro will do after Prime 3, but it likely won't be DKC. I could make see them working on other older IPs, like Kid Icarus or Murasame Castle, but we'll see.

 

[Nivek]

That

A lot but would still be far weaker xenon (check one of my hyperlink) still much needed.

And I'm not sure what Retro will do after Prime 3,

I would say focus in something new, I always wondered if killing raven blade left that hole in retro, no chance to focus in original IP and western style games. Plus OTL retro pushed the unreal engine 2 beyond his limits, here would do something incredible with 3 and 4( or use other internal engine them)

 

[the_idiot]

I would say focus in something new, I always wondered if killing raven blade left that hole in retro, no chance to focus in original IP and western style games. Plus OTL retro pushed the unreal engine 2 beyond his limits, here would do something incredible with 3 and 4( or use other internal engine them)

Looking at the hack and slash gameplay of Raven Blade, it makes me wonder what a Murasame Castle gam by Retro would be like

 

[Nivek]

Looking at the hack and slash gameplay of Raven Blade, it makes me wonder what a Murasame Castle gam by Retro would be like

Yeah even as a demo Raven blade showed the potential of retro but Miyamoto already was full steam ahead with 3D Metroid that become prime, so that's a possibility

About Muramasa Castle, they tried to revive and ended up in nothing by I argue Omega Force Incompetence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Warriors_3 that on that regard(there a reason why Nintendo use Tecmo Side of Koei-Tecmo as their code monkeys, as omega force sucks) . An Idea, if we're making a japan themed game, better call the best, team ninja, that way Nintendo can put Sakamoto with them and keep him busy and avoid the dreadful Other M(i wonder how the hell Sakamoto got all that creative freedom for that? did Iwata didn't realize till was too late?) and Tanabe Retain Metroid Longer

 

[the_idiot]

Battlefield Vietnam

Battlefield Vietnam is the sequel to 2002's Battlefield 1942. Like with the latter game, it is developed by DICE and published by Microsoft for the Nintendo X, with a PC port released in 2005. As the title implies, the game takes place during the Vietnam War, with maps based off of famous locations from the war, like with OTL's game. However, TTL's version of Battlefield: Vietnam also features two story campaigns, one for the American side and one for the Viet Cong side, in which the player's soldier (who is fully customizable) goes through a series of events from the war, starting with the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965 and finishing with the Fall of Saigon in 1975, ultimately spanning ten years of the conflict. The game would go on to receive three expansions after release, all of which served as prequels to the main game: Battlefield Vietnam: Insurgency, which focused on the Diệm period of the war (1954-1959) and the roots of it, Battlefield Vietnam: Guerrilla Warfare, which focuses on the Guerrilla phase of the Vietnam War (1959-1963), and Battlefield Vietnam: Gulf of Tonkin, which mainly focused on the period of time in between Guerrilla Warfare and the base game's story campaign (1963-1965), namely the Gulf of Tonkin incidents and other events before, in between, and after them. Ultimately, the game covers essentially all of the Vietnam War from beginning to end when combining its story campaign and all of its expansions, which is a major step up from OTL's game, which didn't even get any expansions.

Battlefield Vietnam is released on September 28th, 2004. The game gets positive reviews praising the Vietnam setting and the usage of the major events of the Vietnam War, which makes the game feel more epic in scope than Battlefield 1942. The expansions are also praised for letting the players see the lead-up to the Vietnam War itself from 1954 to 1965. However, Battlefield Vietnam also becomes the subject of considerable controversy, as media committees and watchdogs question the depiction of the Vietnam War, with some calling it disrespectful to the veterans, while more right-wing outlets accuse it of trying to discourage patriotism and support for the war in Iraq, by allowing the players to play as the Viet Cong. Despite all of that, Microsoft and DICE take it in stride, and the game sells even better than 1942 did, moving around eight million units on consoles and four million on PC, and becomes a benchmark for the series going forward, focusing more on specific conflicts with each passing game, rather than having players fight against a mere background of a war.

Killzone

Killzone is a first-person shooter developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. While the PlayStation 2 had already seen success with first-person shooter franchises like Snowblight, S.O.C.O.M, and Medal of Honor, Killzone was explicitly billed as being Sony's "Halo killer", much like OTL's game. Like with its OTL counterpart, the game is set in a science fiction setting, albeit one more grittier and bloodier than Halo. However, unlike OTL's game, Killzone's campaign focuses on the Helghast army and paints them very clearly as being the villainous faction, meaning that the players are playing as villain protagonists for the duration of the game's story mode, and as much it features a darker and more morally-grey narrative than games like Halo, Metroid Prime, or Snowblight. The story campaign revolves around the Helghan Empire's conquest of Alpha Centauri, led by Commander Riektov (a character original to this timeline), who in any other game would be the very clear-cut villain and main antagonist, but since the game is about the Helghan Empire, he takes more of a supporting role in the campaign, albeit while having the short temper and abusive qualities of Darth Vader (who is noted as being a clear influence on the character). The end of the game however, shows that there are consequences to Riektov's iron fist, as while the campaign ends in victory for the Helghans, Riektov is shot dead by his own subordinates in vengeance for his treatment of them.

Killzone is released on October 1st, 2004, around a month earlier than OTL's game. The story mode's revolving around the villainous faction, rather than the heroic one, is one positively-received by the gaming community, and the game in general sees a more positive critical reception than OTL's game. However, it ends up attracting much more controversy than both OTL's game and the aforementioned Battlefield Vietnam. Whereas Battlefield Vietnam at least had multiple perspectives being shown as a defense for it, Killzone placing the players in the shoes of the villains has it garnering much more controversy from not just media groups, pundits, and watchdogs, but also entire governments, with the game notably being banned in Ireland, Australia, and Japan, and with retailers within European counties outright refusing to stock it. As a result, Killzone ends up failing to meet expectations, and with the amount of controversy surrounding the title, Sony decides to prioritize Snowblight and S.O.C.O.M instead. However, Killzone is fondly-remembered by those who do like it and becomes something of a cult classic, nor does this game mark the end for Guerrilla Games, who would create a different path for themselves than they did IOTL...

Apple to fully reveal Project Mirror at Spike Video Game Awards

"For the past year, Apple has been showing off demonstrations of Project Mirror, the codename for the technology giant's upcoming foray into the video game console market. Apple has already opened studios in San Francisco, Prague, Florence, and Tokyo under the branding Apple Virtual Entertainment (abbreviated at AVE), acquired Eidos Interactive and Visual Concepts, has established publishing partnerships with developers Epic Games, Koei, and Team Bondi, and is building up relations with third-party developers like Midway, id Software, LucasArts, and SNK Namco. Recently, Apple announced that the grand reveal for their console will be at the Spike Video Game Awards on December 14th, 2004, where the console will be shown off physically for the first time and have its official name revealed. We expect to see more from their developers and partners' projects as well, with results from fan polls determining that the most anticipated titles for Project Mirror are Doom 3 and the Darth Maul game from LucasArts and Radical Entertainment. Will we perhaps see other publishers like Take Two or Vivendi throwing their weight behind Apple's project? We'll find out in two months, though what we're wondering is if Steve Jobs will be crashing the event in some way."

 

[Nivek]

Guerrilla Games, who would create a different path for themselves than they did IOTL...

So no killzone 2 bullshot legendary affair, well we still have Kojima one with metal gear, but killzone 2 was more infamous because was of sony themselves.

 

[Golden Darkness]

As I said in another thread, what will happen to Criterion Games? In this generation Renderware was big and used in many games, until EA bought Criterion in 2004 and attempted to make it their new internal engine for the X360/PS3 games, but Unreal Engine 3 basically outshone what Criterion was planning with Renderware 4.

Inspired by this video:

 

[Nivek]

As I said in another thread, what will happen to Criterion Games? In this generation Renderware was big and used in many games, until EA bought Criterion in 2004 and attempted to make it their new internal engine for the X360/PS3 games, but Unreal Engine 3 basically outshone what Criterion was planning with Renderware 4.

Inspired by this video:

Maybe they got their OTL fate? As EA missed Dice (now in MS umbrella) and Nintendo got Avalanche ( and thus apex engine unless avalanche just overtuned the EAD engine and call it a day) EA might try the same logic as OTL, took over a promising engine , ran it to the ground and ate their pride and ask epic.

Now I realize something, no visual concepts or Wii, take two might not have enough money to avoid the hostile takeover from EA( and OTL took them all the money they make from that game ( a seven million seller mind you) to pull an hedgehog defense... EA with GTA would be funny as hell too

 

[the_idiot]

As I said in another thread, what will happen to Criterion Games? In this generation Renderware was big and used in many games, until EA bought Criterion in 2004 and attempted to make it their new internal engine for the X360/PS3 games, but Unreal Engine 3 basically outshone what Criterion was planning with Renderware 4.

Acclaim is still alive ITTL, and while they didn't own Criterion, they did own Burnout IOTL, and EA only bought Criterion after Acclaim went bankrupt and sold the Burnout to them.

Now I realize something, no visual concepts or Wii, take two might not have enough money to avoid the hostile takeover from EA( and OTL took them all the money they make from that game ( a seven million seller mind you) to pull an hedgehog defense... EA with GTA would be funny as hell too

Remind me what games Take Two released on the Wii? I don't remember exactly how that factors into Take Two's success.

 

[Nivek]

Remind me what games Take Two released on the Wii? I don't remember exactly how that factors into Take Two's success.

I just mentioned, Carnival games for Wii, a game they published and sold seven millions of copies, if we got by the brute money of 50 minus hardware maker fee(with the Wii disc is like 10 bucks) that is 280M of brute money in the early HD era, you could argue carnival games saved them of being bought out by EA

Acclaim is still alive ITTL, and while they didn't own Criterion, they did own Burnout IOTL, and EA only bought Criterion after Acclaim went bankrupt and sold the Burnout to them.

If EA wanted the Renderware as much, they would still buy Criterion and Acclaim keep Burnout, on the other hand, we could see EA putting Criterion working on NSF if they truly want the Renderware that much. BUT if we going with my concept that the less stuff EA own in any given TL the better, them maybe Criterion could be one of Acclaim Savior(and maybe Renderware did become an equivalent to Unreal Engine)

 

[the_idiot]

I just mentioned, Carnival games for Wii, a game they published and sold seven millions of copies, if we got by the brute money of 50 minus hardware maker fee(with the Wii disc is like 10 bucks) that is 280M of brute money in the early HD era, you could argue carnival games saved them of being bought out by EA

That is a pretty hefty blow to Take Two, definitely makes them more vulnerable to a takeover or an acquisition.

If EA wanted the Renderware as much, they would still buy Criterion and Acclaim keep Burnout, on the other hand, we could see EA putting Criterion working on NSF if they truly want the Renderware that much. BUT if we going with my concept that the less stuff EA own in any given TL the better, them maybe Criterion could be one of Acclaim Savior(and maybe Renderware did become an equivalent to Unreal Engine)

Personally I feel that without Burnout, EA would not have much incentive to buy Criterion. You could make the case that they want a developer to help with Need for Speed, but at this point in time, they have EA Black Box.

Either way, Acclaim not going out of business at this point means that they're likely the ones publishing Burnout 3.

 

[Nivek]

That is a pretty hefty blow to Take Two, definitely makes them more vulnerable to a takeover or an acquisition.

Yeah i recalled it when talking about Criterion and EA, seems EA was using all that Madden and NSF money in the early seventh generation OTL.

ersonally I feel that without Burnout, EA would not have much incentive to buy Criterion. You could make the case that they want a developer to help with Need for Speed, but at this point in time, they have EA Black Box.

Either way, Acclaim not going out of business at this point means that they're likely the ones publishing Burnout 3.

Let's wait and see, depending the POD what EA wanted the most, if Burnout or Renderware(Or both), if was Burnout they might not care, if wanted Renderware, they might, but dunno just waiting how that butterfly flap.

 

[Golden Darkness]

I just want to know if Criterion being independent enough has them succeed in having a solid game engine, or it won't be enough to match Unreal 3 in feature set.

 

[the_idiot]

The following is taken from an interview between Sam Rubin of KTLA Morning News and Mark Cerny of Cerny Games on the morning of October 19th, 2004.

Sam Rubin: "Good morning everyone, Sam Rubin here. Today we are covering a bit of an unconventional topic, at least in regards to our usual coverage of movies and television shows, that being video games. Joining us here today is probably someone whose insight regarding the game industry is likely greater than what I have to offer. Please welcome Mark Cerny of Cerny Games."

[applause from studio audience]

Mark Cerny: "Well thank you for inviting me today, Sam, though I wish it could've been under more positive circumstances."

Rubin: "Indeed. First, you mind telling us what you do in terms of video games?"

Cerny: "Well, to start with that, I have worked for Atari, Sega, Crystal Dynamics, and Universal Interactive in the past, and I've worked on titles like Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, so hopefully that makes everyone here feel a bit more comfortable."

[some chuckling from the audience]

Rubin: "Quite an impressive resume, to have been at Sega during their glory days. Obviously nowadays they don't produce consoles anymore, though I understand you do work with Sony, the producer of the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, as well as the upcoming PlayStation Portable."

Cerny: "Yeah, I've been working with Sony in some way or another for around ten years, though 'with' is the operative role. My role is more of an advisory position, where I help out Sony, as well as affiliated studios like Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games. Though today we're not discussing either one of those."

Rubin: "Indeed, today we are discussing another Sony-owned studio and a title that has left something of the sour taste in the mouths of parental media groups, as well as people beyond that. Today we're talking about Killzone, the first-person shooter by Guerrilla Games that utilizes online multiplayer, but whose single-player content is what is causing ratings boards and the like to worry. To my understanding, it seems as if Killzone's story mode has players taking control of the bad guys, a group of space warriors called the 'Hell-guns', did I say that correctly."

Cerny: "Helghast, which is pronounced "Hell-ghast."

Rubin: "Right, Helghast, sorry about that."

Cerny: "No worries at all."

Rubin: "So I gotta tell you, I'm not too familiar with the medium as a whole, but I do know that a few years back, a game named Halo was released for the Nintendo X, and it revolved around a group of space soldiers as well. Would I be correct in saying that the game was the main influence of Killzone?"

Cerny: "Correct, and the idea to play as who would traditionally be the villains of this sort game was used in order to separate the game from Halo. We - or more accurately, Guerrilla, felt it lended more to Killzone's identity by having it revolve around the villainous faction rather than the heroic one."

Rubin: "It sure seems that Sony wants otherwise, considering that they called it a 'Halo killer'."

Cerny: [chuckling] "Well, I don't work in marketing, I handle more of the developmental aspect of consoles and games, but I'm sure they're listening right now."

Rubin: "Probably. So Mark, what I want to know is what do you think about the responses to this game's supposed glorification of violence? I'm not accusing you or them of anything, but I feel like it's worth listening to the perspective from someone in the video game industry."

Cerny: "I was around 28 when the first Mortal Kombat came out, and as some might remember, the Sega Genesis version had a cheat code that allowed for the Fatality moves to be performed without any sort of censorship, so I've been around this alley before, kind of. That being said, I would argue that the main difference between Mortal Kombat and Killzone is that the fatalities were done with the intent of being stylish and gory, and that anyone could do these kinds of move, be it good guys or bad guys. Now Killzone, while on the surface looking as if it glorifies the bad guys, does show that they're not exactly the happiest people in the world. Higher-ups in the Helghast army, such as Commander Riektov, do what I think is a good job of making it clear that these aren't people who you want to be working with or siding with."

Rubin: "Even so, you still get to play as them, which is the main point of contention for many of these groups."

Cerny: "I don't see as being too bad, if I'll be completely honest. We're all familiar with war films like Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, and Saving Private Ryan, all of whom aren't shy about showing and demonstrating how horrific and violent war is, and how even the so-called 'good guys' are not free of committing many sins during these wars. In the case of Apocalypse Now, I'd even argue that the US Army are the bad guys when you look at their involvement in the war, so it's not like all these other depictions of war in media have been sanitized or from the perspective of morally-correct people."

Rubin: "That is true. Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket do a great job is showing how flawed the US Army was when it came to handling the Vietnam War, while Saving Private Ryan perfectly demonstrated how hellish war can be. Still though, I have to ask: Sony already publishes the S.O.C.O.M. series, not to mention that Sony currently shares close relations with Electronic Arts, the publishers of the Medal of Honor series, which was notably created by Steven Spielberg himself, so why is Sony choosing to launch an ambitious and potentially risky new game, rather than focus on S.O.C.O.M. or Medal of Honor? Why go to all that trouble?"

Cerny: "Well, I believe you brought it up earlier that Sony had called this a "Halo killer", and I'd say that this desire to provide an actual competitor to Halo is why we made a brand new game with a science fiction setting, rather than relying on S.O.C.O.M., though I should mention that our other first-person shooter series, Snowblight, is a getting a sequel due for next year, and we anticipate supporting that one if anyone is interested in science fiction games like Halo. And as for Medal of Honor, while we are close with Electronic Arts, and while they provided us with Def Jam Vendetta as an exclusive, they're hesitant on making Medal of Honor a full exclusive to PlayStation platforms, and ultimately it's up to them as to whether that happens or not."

Rubin: "I remember hearing that Steven Spielberg did Medal of Honor, and so when I went to buy it for the kid of a friend of mine, I could only find it available for the PlayStation, and when I asked the store clerk about it, she confirmed that it was only on the PlayStation."

Cerny: "Which console were looking to buy it for?"

Rubin: "The Sega Dreamcast. [laughing] Shows you all I have to know about video games, doesn't it."

Cerny: [laughing too] "You haven't done too badly today."

Rubin: "Well, I still needed to invite you to help me. And on that note, that's all the time we have for now. I'd like to say thank you to Mark Cerny for coming on here with us today."

Cerny: "No problem, and thank you for inviting me to your show."

---

Offices of Apple Inc., Cupertino, California.

Tim Cook: "Well that interview was something."

Steve Jobs: "Yeah. I'll admit, the controversy over that game has made really nervous as to whether we should've advanced with Epic Games' project, though it seems that Mark Cerny seems to know his shit pretty well."

Cook: "So we're not moving forward with cancelling Epic's game."

Jobs: "Definitely not. We need our own shooter series if we want to compete with Nintendo and Sony at this. Hell, I'm thinking that we may need more than one, but our studios in San Francisco, Prague, Florence, and Tokyo are all working on their own projects, while Eidos is currently focused on the Tomb Raider game."

Cook: "Do you think Epic could possibly do two games at once?"

Jobs: "I don't want to risk both of them failing if we split up their workers too much. What about Team Bondi?"

Cook: "We partnered with them specifically because of Sony's close relations with Rockstar. If we don't have an answer to Grand Theft Auto, then Sony will pole-vault over us once the next one releases."

Jobs: "What about the two studios Cerny mentioned during that interview? The ones that he was close with?"

Cook: "Naughty Dog is owned by Sony, there's no way we can work with them."

Jobs: "But what about the other one?"

Cook: "Insomniac is close with them, but Sony doesn't have any sort of ownership over them. So far they've done Spyro the Dragon and the Ratchet & Clank games. I actually tried one of the latter out at a press event, and it feels like to me that they could produce a good shooter."

Jobs: "You think so?"

Cook: "I say it's worth a shot."

Jobs: "Set up a meeting with them, then. And whatever their price is, we'll pay double."

Cook: "Alright, I'll let you know soon, then."

 

[Nivek]

Cook: "Insomniac is close with them, but Sony doesn't have any sort of ownership over them. So far they've done Spyro the Dragon and the Ratchet & Clank games. I actually tried one of the latter out at a press event, and it feels like to me that they could produce a good shooter."

Buying Insomniac? well this is before their track record with others console was awful(and I genuinely liked sunset overdrive, but that one needed a little more time in the oven too) so could work...or just getting a team might not perform once their fanbase is not on your system

 

[the_idiot]

Buying Insomniac? well this is before their track record with others console was awful(and I genuinely liked sunset overdrive, but that one needed a little more time in the oven too) so could work...or just getting a team might not perform once their fanbase is not on your system

Not buying them, but rather a partnership between the two, like what Insomniac had with EA and Microsoft IOTL.

 

[Nivek]

Not buying them, but rather a partnership between the two, like what Insomniac had with EA and Microsoft IOTL.

The Same point stand, hope it works, if not they always ran away to Sony anyway, still is nice, either a modified Resistance and/or Fuse could work for Apple Mirror(keep the name, work very well,) as early life games.